Auribus Teneo Lupum
by Ebaz
Summary: Because when you have a wolf by the ears, you can't let go. —An account of the Marauders' years at Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling; I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

Walburga Black was a woman of power: a commanding, ruthless figure in every aspect of her life. She lived up to her pureblood status, and it was with this aloof and superior manner that she walked through King's Cross Station, disdaining the vulgar Muggles surrounding her.

One small problem, though – one irking, unruly, disloyal problem – tainted her allegiance and continuation of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. It went by the name of Sirius Orion Black, her ungrateful excuse for a son.

True, there was still time to set his mind straight – he was only eleven, after all –and she would see to it that it was done. She had asked her niece Bellatrix (what a delightful girl she was!) to make sure Sirius grew into a decent Slytherin boy. Walburga had full confidence in her.

And it was with slightly positive expectations – not hopes, for Walburga had learned never to get her hopes up when her eldest son was involved – that she nodded stiffly at the scarlet train as it puffed out of the station before disappearing with a crack.

* * *

The irking, unruly, and disloyal problem casually walked into the Great Hall with the other first years. Near him, a pudgy boy with mousy brown hair gawked at his surroundings.

"Look – the ceiling –!" He seemed to be at a loss for words.

The problem snickered. "What? It's not going to rain on you." He turned to the boy next to him, who had equally pitch-black (though less tidy) hair. "A Hufflepuff, for sure," he muttered, and the other one agreed.

The general chatter died down as a man with very long white hair and a matching beard stood up. His presence alone seemed to be the cause of the silence. "Good evening," he said, his booming voice echoing throughout the hall. "Before we get our first years nice and Sorted, I have some announcements to make." He cleared his throat. "First of all, the Forbidden Forest is, indeed, forbidden. Secondly, the girls' bathroom on the second floor is off-limits for students and staff alike. And third, as our older students will know, products from Zonko's Joke Shop or any other relative material are absolutely prohibited." The problem raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. "And now, let us begin our Sorting! Professor McGonagall, if you please."

The witch who had led them in, presumably Professor McGonagall, walked to the front of the hall with a decrepit-looking hat in one hand and a long piece of parchment in the other. Placing the hat upon a chair, there was a collective gasp from about half of the first years as it opened at a rip in the brim and began to sing a song about each of the four houses: their founders, the qualities of each of the houses, and how it would search their minds to find where they belonged.

"Bit scary, don't you think, that it sees everything going on in your mind?" the boy with the untidy black hair whispered. The problem would have responded, but McGonagall had begun reading off names from her parchment. They both watched with mild interest as "Bell, Elizabeth" was sorted into Ravenclaw; before he knew it, McGonagall was calling for "Black, Sirius" and he was walking to the stool, a thousand pairs of eyes trained on him as the ancient hat was placed upon his head.

"Another Black, hmm?" the Hat said conversationally, its croaky voice loud in his head. "The whole lot of you've been Slytherin, no doubt about that (your cousin Bellatrix is a fine example), but I'm sorry to say that you really don't possess enough ambition to become one –"

"Nah." Sirius grinned. "I'm lazy."

"Too true," muttered the hat darkly. "Now, you've got a strong mind, but not an ounce of logic, it seems – no Ravenclaw for you – and Hufflepuff is not a good match, no, not with that temper – in that case, you'll be a GRYFFINDOR!"

Thunderous applause rose from the table the farthest to his right, and he joined them with a satisfied smile: Gryffindor would make his mum _livid._

Sirius watched his black-haired friend James Potter get sorted into Gryffindor as well, and the two sat near a pale boy with light brown hair. James attempted to make conversation and gleaned nothing from it except his name: Remus Lupin. And so James Potter decided Remus Lupin was exceedingly peculiar, and barely said another word to him throughout dinner.

* * *

After a few more words from Professor Dumbledore (the name of the white-haired wizard, according to third-year Gryffindor Demetria Spinnet), prefects collected their houses and headed to their common rooms.

Somehow, Sirius found himself inside a cosy circular room after completely ignoring the prefect's long-winded speech. He tossed aside his trunk with an odd _clank_ing sound and fell onto the nearest bed, sitting cross-legged. Three other dorm-mates filed in behind him: James, Remus Lupin, and that Hufflepuff boy from earlier.

Wait – Hufflepuff?

Sirius nodded to the stout boy. "You're in Gryffindor?"

He seemed rather surprised at being spoken to. "O-of course," he squeaked, his voice rather high-pitched and whiny.

"This _is_ a Gryffindor dormitory," James reminded him with a smirk.

"Just making sure," he said, covering up his earlier uncertainty.

There was an extremely awkward silence.

James cleared his throat. "Well. Shall we get on with the getting-to-know-each-other crap? It'll make things a lot easier later."

There was a snort from Sirius, silence from Remus, and a noise that might have either been assent or disapproval from the other one.

"My name's James Potter." He looked at the other black-haired boy.

"Sirius Black."

More silence.

Remus looked up from his book. "Oh, sorry. I'm Remus Lupin."

They all looked expectantly at the smallest boy, who gulped in fear and mumbled something.

"What? You're going to have to speak louder, mate," Sirius said brashly, and he shrank back.

"P-Peter Pettigrew," he said in a voice even smaller than before.

Sirius shot James an incredulous look, like he couldn't believe someone could be that shy. But his new friend's eyes were drooping shut, and Sirius realized how tired he actually was. "G'night, then," he said, and was asleep before the others could tug their dark red curtains shut.

* * *

A/N: Even though I've been a huge fan of Harry Potter for more than half my life, this is my first time writing in the fandom. I would really appreciate some constructive criticism on this story, but any review is a good review. (Except flames, of course. Don't like those.) Let me know what you think! Just keep in mind that I'm American, and I don't know much about England. If you spot something glaringly American that would seem really weird in England, please point it out. Thanks!

~Ebaz

P.S. I'm still feeling a bit iffy about the title of this story – it's Latin for "to have the wolf by the ears," which translates into modern English as "to take the bull by the horns." If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to offer them!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, no matter how much I wish I did.

* * *

Morning came and went. They had a delicious breakfast of waffles and orange juice in the Great Hall, which displayed a promising day on the ceiling, and after that it was time for their first class: Transfiguration.

Sirius wasn't about to admit it, but he was really looking forward to classes. Sure, he'd been able to perform uncontrolled magic before, but to be able to direct it was something completely different. He'd had his share of humiliation from his awful cousin Bellatrix – she was five years his senior and never wasted an opportunity to torture him with whatever new spells she'd learned. Naturally, he wanted revenge.

James nudged him out of his scheming daydreams, frowning at their schedule. "Where's Classroom 99?" he asked.

Sirius shrugged. "No idea." He turned around and nearly bumped into Peter, who was at his heels like some obedient puppy, and called to Remus. "Hey, d'you know where –" But the boy was already turning behind a tapestry and down a partially-obscured hallway. They followed him into a lively classroom filled with several other Gryffindors and the stern-looking witch present at the Sorting the previous night. Sirius and Remus sat at an empty table in the back; James slipped into a seat next to a pretty redheaded girl. Peter floundered around for a bit before noticing the only empty spot in the very front of the room.

The dark-haired witch – her name escaped Sirius at the moment – looked at him critically through square spectacles. "You're late."

Remus spoke up. "We're terribly sorry, Professor McGonagall. We lost our way."

McGonagall nodded resignedly. "I will not be so lenient after today. Now –" She flicked her wand and a piece of chalk began to write on the board in elegant cursive – "Transfiguration is an immensely difficult branch of magic that requires your full concentration and your full attention in class…" Sirius's mind had already begun to wander off; he was thinking about the possibilities of Transfiguring Bellatrix into a toad when –

"If you are truly skilled at Transfiguration, you may be able to learn a complex series of spells called Aesalon's Animagus Transformation, or Animagus for short. I am an Animagus myself." And with that, she turned into a cat and leapt onto her desk.

Sirius was impressed. He clapped with the rest of the class as McGonagall became human once more, and flipped through his textbook with interest: if he was going to become a skilled wizard, he absolutely _had_ to learn how to do that.

* * *

Meanwhile, James was having trouble paying attention to the professor's introductory speech. He knew about Transfiguration, anyways – his mother worked for the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and used it regularly. Instead, he was concentrating on something far more important: balling up pieces of parchment and trying to get them lodged in the hair of the girl in front of him.

"That's awfully rude, you know."

He stopped mid-crumple, his eyes shifting to the right, where a vaguely familiar girl was giving him an indignant look.

"And…?" He looked at her innocently.

"_And_, you're going to get yourself in trouble –"

"Please be quiet while I'm speaking, Miss Evans." Professor McGonagall gave her a disapproving look before continuing with her speech.

The girl glared at James, who only smirked and gathered more parchment ammunition.

* * *

After a mainly relaxing morning (Transfiguration had been the only class with an actual lesson; the others were just introductions to the courses), the four found their way back to the Great Hall for lunch. Sirius and James were chatting animatedly about the flying lesson they'd just had – "Did you see me dodge that Quaffle?" "I was flying one-handed there for a while; did you see?" – while Peter listened, his expression rapt. Remus didn't participate in the conversation; he had to sit out of Flying because of his poor health, which Madam Hooch didn't seem to think was reason enough for staying on the ground. But he was more content there anyway, so it was no loss for him.

"What do we have next?" James asked through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Potions," Remus replied coolly, slightly disgusted by his poor eating habits. He turned back to his own food and was about to open a book when –

"Hey, Remus, d'you have a quill on you?"

Somewhat irritated, he pulled a quill and ink out of his bag and placed them in Sirius's outstretched hand. He paused for a moment to make sure Sirius wasn't going to chew on the end before going back to his book.

"Parchment, too?"

He handed it to them silently and watched James fumble with it for a bit before accidentally ripping it in two.

"Can I have another piece…?"

The tips of Remus's ears turned pink as he refrained from lashing out at the pair. He stiffly complied, though, lacking the will to say no. "Idiots," he muttered under his breath.

"Aren't they?"

Remus looked up, pleasantly surprised to hear a new voice. A girl with red hair and startling green eyes nodded to their left, where James and Sirius were attempting to enchant a paper airplane.

"You have no idea. I have to share dormitories with them."

She grimaced. "Poor you. I'm Lily Evans, by the way," she said, offering her hand.

He took it. "Remus Lupin." He smiled, perhaps for the first time that day; as they continued to talk and occasionally make fun of the trio, he thought that maybe – just maybe – he had made a new friend.

* * *

Evening in the common room was very pleasant, Sirius decided. The fireplaces and many couches made it a cosy place to be, unlike the dark and cold halls of his home. He was sprawled over a sofa now, observing the rest of the Gryffindors: several second years were huddled around a table in the corner, crowding around an object that sometimes sent sparks flying into their hair; older students were huddled around tables as well, poring over immense books or writing feverishly, and Remus Lupin was doing the same.

Or, he _was_ doing the same – because as Sirius watched, the girl who'd been in their compartment on the train joined his table, and studying was forgotten. She muttered something Sirius couldn't hear, and they both burst out laughing; then, she asked a question, and he could've sworn he heard Remus say "Sirius Black."

Immediately curious to know what was going on (and pretty sure they were making fun of him), Sirius ambled over to them and pulled up a chair with an obnoxious flourish. "Talking about me, are we?"

Remus blinked, and Lily scowled at him. "Please leave. Neither of us wants annoying gits at our table."

Sirius smirked. "Why are you still here, then?"

Her cheeks turned bright red as she struggled to find a suitable retort, and she resorted to another glare.

"Fine, fine." He snickered and walked away,

Remus shook his head incredulously. "What was _that_ about?"

"No clue. But –" Lily looked back at Sirius, who had found James, and was conversing quietly with him. "They don't strike me as particularly smart in the first place."

Remus gave a dry laugh. "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

He was wrong. James and Sirius were very smart – intellectually, at least – but their sheer lack of maturity made up for that easily.

He was also mentally berating himself for falling to their level. In a moment of weakness, he had agreed to accompany them and Peter out of the safety of their dormitory and into the cold, forbidding castle. And in a moment of stupidity, he had managed to lose track of where they were going.

"W-where are we?" asked Peter between shivers.

"Damn place needs a map," James muttered, looking around him for any sign of familiar territory. He found none.

A whistle of wind blew past them, and Remus instantly recognized it as that of a ghost. Before he could say a word, a tall, blood-stained ghost materialized in front of them, its eyes sunken and hollow. It advanced towards the four slowly, the silvery marks horribly visible on its pearl-white clothes and body.

Peter shrank back behind Sirius with a noticeable whimper, but he stepped forward bravely and addressed the ghost. "Excuse me, sir, but we've lost our way. Can you tell us in which direction the Gryffindor dormitories are?"

The ghost bowed his head stiffly and spoke in a halting, hoarse whisper. "I… cannot help you. I am a… Slytherin." He turned to his left and disappeared through an age-spotted mirror.

Sirius sighed. "Well, it was worth a shot." He looked to his left, expecting to see James, but the boy with glasses already had his eyes on the mirror. He ran his hand along the edge, as if to find a keyhole, and locked his fingers around a small object midway down.

"Gotcha," he murmured, and slid the latch to the side. Instead of opening, however, it revealed a small hole no larger than a half-inch in diameter.

"You'll probably need your wand," Sirius supplied. He'd seen similar locks in his own home; his parents were fond of secrets and hidden things. James was already inserting it into the opening, and for a moment nothing happened.

Then, the door silently swung open, revealing nothing but pitch-black emptiness.

* * *

A/N: So… guess what today is? I, Ebaz, am officially a year older~ So please make me happy on my birthday and leave some reviews! :) The bad news is, I have finals that I should be studying for… but no, I just _had_ to find inspiration for this _now_, of all times… Once again, please leave a review!

~Ebaz

* * *

_Odile: AHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH~ Your reviews make me so happy, you have no idea. And yes, I'm going to try and continue this. I like the idea. Thank you!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and probably never will – but hey, I can hope, can't I?

* * *

James's eyes widened, and he grinned: it was only his second day at Hogwarts, and he'd already found a secret room. "_Lumos_," he muttered, holding his wand out at arm's length. The other three boys crowded behind him as the dim light illuminated what appeared to be a sort of unfinished corridor, with rough stone walls and empty candelabras. Near the entrance it was wider, almost cavernous, and large enough to fit a good amount of people. The air was cold, but there was no sign of the macabre ghost.

"Brilliant," Sirius breathed, pushing past James and stepping into the room. He looked around, appraising what he could see of it; satisfied, he leaned against the wall. "I wonder if anyone knows about this..."

"I doubt it," James said, stepping down from the uneven floor. "There's dust all over; no one's been here for ages." He was right; the golden wall-set candelabras were tinged with grey, and there was a particularly musty smell throughout the place.

Peter edged over to James. "How did you do that?" he asked, his eyes on James's still-lit wand.

"Oh, this?" he asked. "Simple – just say _Lumos_ and move your wand to the right, like this –" He demonstrated, looking rather smug – "and you've got yourself a light."

Peter tried, and his wand emitted a faint glow; he smiled proudly and took to exploring the rest of the room with his new flashlight.

Remus yawned. "This doesn't help us at all if we want to find our way back to the dormitories, does it?"

Sirius sighed dramatically. "Way to spoil our fun, Remus."

"He's right, though," James said, his face shifting to a frown. "We have no idea where we are."

"We don't?" Sirius took out his wand and unlocked the mirror, stepping back into the hallway; when the others had done the same, he led them up a series of spiral staircases until they were in front of the portrait entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

"You knew all along!" James accused, pointing at him.

"I didn't, honest," he said, shrugging his shoulders innocently. "I was going to tell you when I realized it, but I didn't want to spoil your discovery."

Whatever James was about to retort was interrupted by a very angry Fat Lady. "What do you think you're doing out of bed so late, hmm? You've gone and woken me up!"

"Maleficent," Sirius said over the others' apologies, and the portrait swung open with an irritated "Hmph!"

They filed up the narrow staircase to their dorm with growing fatigue, none of them bothering to change into nightclothes before collapsing onto their respective beds.

* * *

They reappeared at breakfast four hours later, tired but exhilarated from the previous night's quest. Sirius yawned over his bacon and eggs, watching a first-year Ravenclaw charm his orange juice into a brightly-coloured boat and make it sail around the cup.

An amplified _swoosh_ announced the arrival of the morning post. A large barn owl landed in front of Remus's plate, bringing him the latest _Daily Prophet_; he rummaged around for money before depositing a Knut into the pouch on its leg.

"Ah, lucky, you get mail," Sirius said, peering over the boy's shoulder at the newspaper. Before he could read any of it, though, an ebony-coloured owl swooped down and dropped a scarlet envelope in his lap.

Remus and Peter watched in bewilderment as Sirius yelped in horror, flinging the envelope as far away from him as possible. It started to smoke at the edges, flapping insistently, until – _BOOM!_

The explosion charred a hole into the Gryffindor table, and several frightened students scrambled out of their seats. The envelope was still intact and giving off a thick white smoke. It wasn't quite finished yet, though – it hovered a foot or so above the crater and began to speak in a rough, low voice.

"_SIRIUS ORION BLACK, HOW DARE YOU BESMIRCH OUR FAMILY NAME ONCE AGAIN –"_

Sirius sat perfectly still, holding his fork in a white-knuckled death grip.

" –_SHOULD BE MORE LIKE YOUR COUSIN AND YOUR BROTHER –"_

The only other evidence of his mortification was the dark shade of red that was slowly creeping into his cheeks.

"_GRYFFINDOR IS _UNACCEPTABLE –_"_

Perhaps he should have thought twice about wanting to make his mother mad.

Eventually, the sound of Mrs Black's distinctly masculine voice died down, and the Great Hall resumed its normal buzz of conversation. Sirius, though somewhat shaken, bounced back immediately and shared a joke with James, ignoring the looks he was getting from his peers. And after explaining what a Howler was to Remus and Peter, who'd never encountered one before, they left together in search of the Potions dungeon.

* * *

Professor Slughorn was likable enough, sure, but James wasn't particularly happy when he assigned a group project on the first day. "This is so I'll be able to get to know your potion-making talents," he had insisted, but James didn't see how he'd be able to discern his strengths from a group potion.

He wasn't too thrilled with having assigned partners, either. He was currently sat next to the greasy-haired guy from the train, the one who had been so keen to get into Slytherin. Well, he'd gotten his wish now, and James hoped he was regretting it.

"So, uh, we can brew any potion we want?" James asked, observing the boy through the corner of his eye.

He nodded without looking up, flipping the pages of his ancient textbook with interest. "We could brew a Bloodroot potion – it's not in our books, but it's highly advanced and the professor would be impressed."

James looked skeptical. "Bloodroot? Sounds like Dark magic to me."

The boy shrugged. "Not quite, but close enough. It doesn't have effects adverse enough to be considered Dark. There are worse potions."

James raised his eyebrows, wary of his partner's seemingly advanced knowledge of Dark magic. "Let's not. Can we go with something safer, like…" He scanned the index of his textbook. "The Volubilis Potion, perhaps?"

He sighed. "Alright, then. Get the honeywater and hellebore."

Potions passed slowly. By the end of the lesson, James was thoroughly disturbed by his partner's knowledge of the Dark arts. He had thrown in comments like "Adding six more mint sprigs would make this lethal," and "By stirring anticlockwise, the cauldron will collapse and you'll release Fiendfyre." James left the classroom quickly and waited for his friends at the door.

"What is wrong with him?" James muttered, pointing at his partner, who was deep in conversation with Lily Evans.

"Who, Snivellus?" James snorted with laughter at the nickname, and Sirius grinned. "Suits him better than Severus, don't you think? Anyway, I've heard he's kind of a recluse. Spends all day researching Dark stuff, which I guess is strange even by Slytherin standards. Poor Jamesie, having to work with the slimeball." He grimaced, and added in an undertone, "Peter's rubbish at Potions, though. Nearly blew us up twice. Lucky Remus, he gets someone female. And attractive." He pointed out Emmeline Vance, and James agreed.

* * *

Finally, classes were over. To everyone's relief, they hadn't gotten that much homework yet, and Sirius suggested they spend the rest of their free time exploring. Remus wasn't exactly willing.

"Come on, Remus, we won't get in trouble, and we'll be back by midnight so you can tuck yourself into bed," he cajoled, trying (unsuccessfully) to get him to acquiesce. Remus refused politely.

Unfortunately for Sirius, James decided he didn't want to go either, and there was no point in going alone (or with Peter, which didn't seem much different from alone anyway). Defeated, he spent a long time in the common room, daydreaming of the room behind the mirror, the Howler, Potions, Emmeline Vance, Snivellus, the castle…

When he awoke, the common room was empty. Gazing around blearily, his eyes met nothing lifelike except the faintly-glowing embers of the dying fire, which pulsed a small orange light rhythmically. He briefly wondered if they were sentient before shaking himself to sanity and trudging up the spiralling stairs; it wouldn't do him any good to think too much at this hour. No, he'd save his speculations for the morning.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! I have a lot planned for the next few chapters, so don't worry – they'll have more action and plot to them. And pleasepleaseplease review! You'd make me so happy.

Please?

~Ebaz

* * *

_Odile: Thank you so much! I love your reviews. And thanks, it was great :)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

* * *

"I'm warning you, Sirius, don't do it –"

"I will. I really will. I'm going over there right now."

"Sirius Black, _get your arse back over here_ –"

"And how are you doing this fine morning, Miss Lily Evans?"

Sirius squeezed himself into an opening at the bench, directly across from the aforementioned girl. He gave her a signature half-smile, catching the attention of one of her friends, but not Lily. She glared at him, unamused.

"What do you want, Black?"

"Last-name basis, then? Okay, _Evans_, I just want to talk to you for a minute." He leaned across the table, his head balanced neatly in his hands. "Alone."

"No," she said bluntly, returning to her breakfast. "You can say whatever you need to right here."

He shrugged. "Alright, then. You know James Potter?" he asked, pointing across the table to his red-faced friend.

"Unfortunately," she muttered. "What about him?"

Sirius grinned, his voice lowering to a stage whisper. "Jamesie fancies you."

Lily stopped eating for a second or two, turned to James, turned back to Sirius, and went back to her bacon.

"That's it?" Sirius asked, indignant.

"That's it," she repeated dully. "What were you expecting, a full-out confession of love for Potter?"'

"Pretty much, yeah," he said. "I think he would've liked that. But if he's not good-looking enough for you, there's always me –"

He scrambled out of the way before her palm could make contact with his face.

"_Damn_," Marlene McKinnon said, her eyes following Sirius's retreating form. "Lucky you, Lily – the two hottest guys in our year just hit on you!"

"Oh, yes, lucky me," she grumbled, stabbing her knife into her French toast rather aggressively. "Too bad they're also the two most immature, annoying brats in our year." Her attitude towards them hadn't changed at all; they were loud, arrogant, infuriating – and somehow incredibly smart on top of that. That was the main reason she resented them: they didn't have to work hard at all to get top marks, whereas she had to spend all night studying.

Marlene shrugged. "Who cares?"

Lily gave her a look. "C'mon, let's go to class." She gathered her books, waiting for Marlene and her other roommates, Dorcas Meadowes, Emmeline Vance, and Mary MacDonald.

They exited the Great Hall, chattering quietly as they approached the Transfiguration classroom. Lily's gaze drifted between the crowds of people heading to class, until she spotted a familiar black-haired head among them.

"Severus!" she called, but something wasn't right; he looked almost frightened. Frowning, she walked towards him, wondering what was wrong.

Then, she saw them. Potter, Black, and Pettigrew were grouped in a circle near him, holding a tattered bag between them and snickering. As she watched, James took a book from it and examined its contents.

"What do we have here? _September twenty-ninth_ – is this Snivellus's _diary_?" he said, his voice escalating into a whoop of laughter. Severus grabbed for the book, but James held it above his head and continued to read aloud. "_Found a very interesting book on Dark magic today. It was probably supposed to be in the Restricted Section, but –"_

His grin faded as Lily walked over, snatched the book and bag from his hands, and silently handed them to Severus. She turned back to James, silently radiating anger, and waited unflinchingly by her friend's side as the other three slowly walked into the classroom. When they had gone, Lily turned back to Severus.

"You okay?"

He nodded, all the color gone from his face. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Nearly all the people in the hallway were gone; she adjusted her bag on her shoulder and said, "We should be getting to class now. I'll see you later, okay?"

Severus nodded again, and hurried down the hall without another word. With a pang of worry, Lily walked into Transfiguration and took her dreaded seat next to James.

McGonagall gave her a stern look for being late, but said nothing, and Lily silently thanked herself for getting on her good side in the first month. Otherwise, she was sure she'd have lost points, or worse.

A few minutes into the lesson, there was a tap on her shoulder. She turned, scowling, to the apologetic face of James Potter; he thrust a piece of paper into her palm and focused his attention on the board.

Sighing, she unfolded it, raising her eyebrows at his messy handwriting.

-_I'm sorry about that.-_

_-Don't feed me lies, Potter.-_

_-Why won't you believe me?-_

_-Have you honestly given me __any__ reason to believe you?-_

_-I'm just asking you to trust – _

"Potter? Evans? Kindly pay attention while I'm teaching." With a flick of her wand, their notes burst into flame and showered their desk with ash.

Instead of her usual glare, Lily stared straight ahead. James Potter certainly did _not_ deserve her gaze.

* * *

Classes following lunch were typically sleepy, and Sirius was sorely tempted to skip Charms for a nap. He really didn't feel like trudging all the way back up to the common room, though, and was just about to settle down in his desk when James tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Sirius, look at the board."

He squinted at the front of the classroom, where a piece of chalk was writing out 'Charms in Wandmaking: The Elder Wand.'

Sirius frowned. "That doesn't exist, does it?" He'd heard the fairy tales as a child, of course. But like the majority of the wizarding population believed, they were simply that – fairy tales with no basis in fact.

"No, of course not. But why're we learning about it?" There wasn't time for a response; Professor Flitwick appeared from behind his desk and cleared his throat loudly.

"Today, class, we will cover some basic elements of wandmaking," he began. "It will be covered in much more detail in sixth year, but Professor Dumbledore thinks you should know a bit about it before then.

"Wandmaking is a very delicate branch of charmwork. It is believed, as I'm sure you've heard, that the wand chooses the wizard; this is because each wand core and material has their own particular qualities that tend to match best with certain personalities. Unicorn hair, for example…" He continued to describe each core and wand wood, and Sirius took attentive notes. This was actually interesting.

"…and speaking of family wands: Mr Livingston, would you mind coming to the front of the class?"

A dark-haired Ravenclaw stood up and walked to the board, his wand between two fingers of his left hand.

"Alex Livingston owns a very unique wand. It is the last in a series of replications made by the warlock Livius, who designed them after his own: the Elder Wand."

There was a collective whisper at the name of the infamous wand.

"For those of you who are not familiar with the story, the Elder Wand and two other items called the Deathly Hallows were supposedly given to three brothers by Death himself. Of course, we all believe what we will –" He gave a noncommittal shrug, as if to make himself neutral – "but it is true that certain combinations of wood and core can produce quite astounding results. This is, perhaps, why the Elder Wand was considered invincible."

Professor Flitwick hopped off of his desk and drew a line connecting 'thestral tail hair' and 'elder'. "We can see that both of these substances are particularly tricky to work with, and therefore make for an extremely difficult wand when combined. Difficult… but powerful." He paused for a moment. "Of course, this means that it shouldn't work very well for less experienced wizards. How does it work for you, Mr Livingston?"

"U-um –" He fidgeted with his wand, and Sirius noticed how ornately it was carved. "It can be a bit temperamental at times, but when it does function, i-it's very strong."

"Impressive," Flitwick said quietly. "I would have you demonstrate for us, but we're out of time for today. Class dismissed!"

_So Alex Livingston owns an Elder Wand_, Sirius thought to himself as he packed up his bag. _Note to self: don't tell Mum about him. She'd go insane._

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A/N: I had to split this chapter in two because it was getting nowhere near a stopping point; sorry for the awkward ending. But the plot should pick up soon, so don't worry! :) Please leave a review on your way out!

~Ebaz

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_Captain Obvious: Thank you for your wonderfully obvious review! ;)_


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